The Canterbury Bulldogs’ hopes of winning a premiership in the next decade are set to rest on a huge halves call, with the club facing major uncertainty over who will partner Lachlan Galvin in 2027.
With Galvin expected to remain in the halves, the Bulldogs are still searching for a long-term halfback after another season of reshuffling and positional changes.
Watch every game of every round of the NRL Premiership LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Two-time Under-19s NSW Blues representative Mitchell Woods appears the leading contender, but the young playmaker’s limited football in recent years means the club would be taking a significant gamble by handing him the No.7 jersey.
“It’s huge. It’s premiership-defining (and) season-defining,” CODE Sports reporter David Riccio said on NRL 360.
“I think Connor Tracey needs a massive pre-season. I don’t think (Kiraz) at fullback.
“I would have Jacob Kiraz at fullback but he has chronic injuries, and he’s unable to train and get the loads in and it’s just not an option
“I think they will have to bank on Mitch Woods and go Galvin and Mitch Woods.
“There’s a lot of careers resting on the hamstring of Mitch Woods. That’s as simple as it is.”
Meanwhile, foxsports.com.au’s Paul Crawley believes the Belmore-based side’s current halves predicament is the result of a recruitment strategy gone wrong.
He argued that the club are paying the price for a series of positional reshuffles as the Bulldogs are yet to find a settled halves combination.
“The club has made this problem for themselves because when they recruited Galvin,” Crawley said.
“Galvin was always going to be a six. He was never going to be a halfback, but they brought him in when they already had Matt Burton, so then Matt Burton becomes the problem.
“Instead of doing something there, they’ve moved Stephen Crichton who is one of the world’s best centres, into the five-eighth spot and that’s not working either…and it’s all come through poor recruitment and I can’t see how it’s going to get better.
“Mitch Woods could be the best young footballer we’ve ever seen, but he has hardly played for two years.
